Mya Steinhauer, a Blue Earth Area senior, is owner and operator of her very own baking business: Sweets By Mya. Mya Steinhauer, a Blue Earth Area senior, is owner and operator of her very own baking business: Sweets By Mya. How does a favorite hobby become a profitable business? For Mya Steinhauer, it all started with a coffee crew’s sweet tooth. A few years ago, the Blue Earth Area senior was asked to supply cookies for the coffee crew which meets regularly at Julie’s Bar and Grill in Frost. The coffee crew expected Steinhauer would make standard cookie fare – monster cookies or sugar cookies, perhaps. However, Steinhauer decided to go all-out on her first cookie commission, and she brought elaborately-decorated cookies to Julie’s Bar and Grill throughout the month of December. “I loved seeing how much they loved (the cookies),” Steinhauer says, recalling that the coffee crew wrote her an appreciative card when the month was up. “Food is my favorite thing, and I love making it for people.” Once Steinhauer had discovered her calling, Sweets By Mya, Steinhauer’s Frost-based baking business, was born. Up until this point, Steinhauer had primarily baked for her family – her parents, […]

Click here to view original web page at www.faribaultcountyregister.com

Melanie Edwards-Barton, CEO of the Sierra Vista Area Chamber of Commerce, talks with emcee Jeff Davenport at an event in Douglas last year. We live in a geographically diverse region of Arizona, from its Sky Island mountain ranges to the San Pedro River’s lush riparian areas, thriving agricultural zones, industrial mining operations, grazing lands and national monuments. Its business landscape is no different, with Willcox, the agricultural and cattleman heartland with a growing wine industry; the historic towns of Tombstone and Bisbee; Douglas, the second largest commercial port of entry; Sierra Vista, the county’s commercial, educational, and medical hub; and Fort Huachuca, its largest employer. This diversity creates a tapestry of businesses, from multinational mining companies, a home-based accountant, a local family feed store, a communications tech company or local energy producer, they’re all part of our region’s commercial fabric. Woven into that fabric is the Sierra Vista Area Chamber of Commerce, a body tasked with promoting a positive business atmosphere and providing leadership for the improvement of the communities it serves. Most of the businesses in our region are by definition small, thus most of the chamber’s members are small businesses, and the various services and programs they […]

Click here to view original web page at www.myheraldreview.com

Special to the Sentinel FENNVILLE — Fennville has a new downtown business for furry friends. K-Nine Pet Grooming — 216 E. Main St. — opened Saturday, Feb. 4. It offers full grooming services for small, medium and large dogs, including ear cleaning, nail trim, anal glands if needed, bath, fully dry and brush. Just baths and just nails are also available. “We thought it would be a great opportunity for Fennville and for the business to keep everyone’s fur babies looking their best,” said owner Tamara Moeller about moving downtown. She’d been operating out of her home on 58th Street. “The Fennville DDA is excited that K-Nine Pet Grooming is establishing its business in downtown Fennville and we wish them much success,” said Tom Pantelleria, chairperson of the Fennville Downtown Development Authority. DDA members and Fennville City Commissioners participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Feb. 4. “The DDA will also continue to partner with the city government to create an environment that promotes business success in our local community. Filling one of our store fronts on Main Street is just one of those successes.” Olivia Reynolds also works out of the space with her business, Liv’s K-Nine. “Liv rents a […]

Click here to view original web page at www.hollandsentinel.com

The Gazette’s Business Notes is a compendium of the week’s promotions, new hires, certifications, added business lines and business events, among other items, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and the rest of the Corridor. Information and photos can be submitted to Business Notes by email to businessnotes@thegazette.com , or on our site at thegazette.com/businessnotes . New hires Advanced Therapy Specialists of Cedar Rapids has hired Michele Parker as certified lymphedema therapist and occupational therapist. Advertisement The Englert Theatre in Iowa City has hired Taylor Leigh Jackson as senior development manager. Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman named Ryan Buresh as the Cedar Rapids law firm’s chief financial officer in January. Skywalk Group hired Jill Gerken as a business marketing manager. GreatAmerica Financial Services has hired Brian Johnson as a compliance analyst. Promotions KCRG-TV9 has announced that Kristin Rogers will be part of its morning news team. Fairfax State Savings Bank has announced that Patti Lopata has been promoted to senior vice president/chief operating officer and John C.W. Slater has been promoted to vice president/director. Appointments Lisa Steigleder has been named chairwoman of the board of directors for TRAIL of Johnson County, and Janene Panfil has been named to the board. Melissa […]

Click here to view original web page at www.thegazette.com

A secretary working with an accounts ledger and an adding machine, circa 1945. (Photo by FPG/Archive … [+] Getty Images Here are five things in tech that happened this week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them? 1 – These are the best accounting software applications for 2023. Selecting an accounting software–a vital tool to keep your small business running smoothly–can be challenging if you’re unsure of what best fits your needs. A new list has the best offerings this year. For example, Wave Accounting is at #5 with the benefit of managing multiple accounts and supporting multiple users, a definite advantage if you don’t want to be concerned with the number of individual accounts. And QuickBooks is ranked as the best software because of its across-the-board compatibility–integration of third-party apps–an easy to manage cloud-based mobile app–and overall performance. (Source: Small Business Trends ) Why this is important for your business: If you’re looking for accounting software this year, you’ll find this list is a helpful first step. Get lots of demos, involve your accountant and make sure it can grow with your business. 2 – Sendinblue now has integration with WhatsApp. Marketing service Sendinblue has […]

Click here to view original web page at www.forbes.com

A Havelock Wool employee trims excess material from insulation panels made of sheep wool at the company’s facility in Reno, Nev. On a recent Wednesday afternoon inside a 67,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Reno, Nevada, a large machine was moving a fluffy, off-white material through a series of drum rollers. The substance was being layered into thick panels of insulation made from a material not often found inside walls in homes: wool. “Hot, cold, warm, dry – wool does it all,” said Andrew Legge, founder and managing partner of Havelock Wool. Havelock Wool insulation made of sheep wool lines the walls of a house located on Gray’s Crossing Golf Course in Truckee, Calif. The company makes insulation products entirely out of sheep wool. Legge started the company in response to the lack of healthy and sustainable choices in the insulation industry. “As an insulator, we’d like to say that evolution has occurred in nature’s R&D department – not in some lab creating a synthetic fiber that is from the onset just not going to perform as well,” said Legge. According to the Environmental Working Group, an environmental health advocacy nonprofit, commonly used materials like fiberglass and spray foam may contain […]

Click here to view original web page at www.kunc.org

Business leader conducting training with team getty It’s a well-known truth that you have to spend money to make money. Continuing to reinvest in your business in smart and strategic ways is essential for staying competitive in ever-changing markets. Understanding where and how to allot resources, however, can be a high-wire budget-balancing act. Technology and equipment upgrades, infrastructure maintenance, marketing programs and talent acquisition tend to take precedence. But when Gallup reports that over 50% of U.S. employees are “quiet quitting,” failing to reinvest in your current workforce isn’t an option. Competitive salaries, good benefits packages and flexibility are musts in today’s still-tight job market. However, prioritizing employee development has some added advantages that truly make it a win-win proposition. From increased job satisfaction and loyalty to better retention rates—and ultimately better employees—continued learning benefits everyone involved. If you’re not already emphasizing employee development, here are some reasons why it’s time to change your focus. 1. It Attracts Top Talent Every company hopes to land top-tier talent. Since the pandemic-driven pivot to more remote work options, applicants can now access opportunities across the nation and the world. High performers are looking for more than just cushy salaries and hefty […]

Click here to view original web page at www.forbes.com

Cardboard boxes on conveyor belt in a distribution warehouse. getty Federal procurement with a diversity mandate aimed at assisting manufacturers with a high proportion of disabled employees received a significant boost earlier this month with the launch of the new AbilityOne storefront on Amazon Business. AbilityOne is a federally administered program dating back to the 1930s and is one of the largest sources of employment in the United States for individuals who are blind or living with significant disabilities. Under the administration of the U.S. AbilityOne Commission working alondside the program’s Authorised Agencies – National Industries for the Blind and SourceAmerica – approximately 500 non-profits provide products and services to the federal government at a fair market rate. Thanks to mission-critical mandatory source of supply agreements with the government covering everything from office supplies, janitorial and sanitary products and medical supplies including PPE – some 40,000 people are employed under the AbilityOne umbrella. In 2022, the program generated $2.1 billion in revenue primarily through its largest customer, the U.S. Department of Defense. In addition to physical products, the program also provides a range of services including facilities management, contact centers, warehousing and packaging services to name but a few. […]

Click here to view original web page at www.forbes.com

Nearly one in five small businesses fail in their first year. That may be daunting as a new business owner, but learning to manage your money and use it wisely could help your business thrive. The Essential 2023 Money Management Bundle has lessons on everything from investing to budgeting to personal finance—and lifetime access is on sale for $19. It’s time to start feeling confident about your business’s financial future. If that means earning passive income to back up your normal revenue streams, then study long-term investment strategies taught by full-time trader, investor, and entrepreneur Travis Rose. See how you can build value by investment and learn to read charts and analysis indicators to make informed investments. No investment is a sure thing, so you may want to craft a finance tracker to stay informed about how much your business spends monthly. This model also works as a personal finance tool, but scaling it up for your business may help you make informed decisions if the time comes to limit expenses. Many personal finance skills may also apply to your business finances. Up to 82% of businesses that fail can attribute that failure to poor cash flow management . […]

Click here to view original web page at www.entrepreneur.com

Melinda Haughey (left) and Chelsey Roney, founders of Proxi, created a tool for making interactive maps. A team whose venture-backed startup was inspired by a map they created for trick-or-treaters. A tech-company product manager who decided to quit his job during an eight-state road trip. A website developer who saw an opportunity to help small businesses reach customers online. These are among the entrepreneurs who created new businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic, a time when the highest number of Americans since at least the mid-2000s took the first steps to launch a new venture.

Click here to view original web page at www.wsj.com